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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, March 5, 2018 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Alex Young

"The August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA - Science, Safety and Success"

ABSTRACT -- The August 21, 2017, eclipse was the first total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States since 1979 -- and the first that has traversed the entire continent since June 8th, 1918. The moon's shadow cut a 110-km-wide path, diagonally across the country from Oregon to South Carolina. For over two minutes, those in the path had an opportunity to experience an ethereal twilight with a naked-eye view of the sun's million-degree atmosphere called the corona. It is estimated that more than 100 million in the US alone viewed some portion of the eclipse.

NASA took full advantage of this unique celestial event as an education and public engagement opportunity by leveraging its extensive networks of partners, numerous social media platforms, broadcast media, and its significant unique space assets and experts to bring the eclipse to America and the world. In addition, NASA played a role in insuring safety during the event as well as supporting and facilitating a rich collection of science. This talk outlines the science and the wonder NASA shared with the world during and after this natural spectacle.

SPEAKER -- Dr. C. Alex Young is the Associate Director for Science in NASA Goddard's Heliophysics Science Division. He explores the science of space weather. He also leads science communication and education activities for the Heliophysics Division, NASA Goddard and NASA HQ/SMD. Dr. Young is the principle investigator of the NASA Space Science Education Consortium, a part of NASA SMD's education program. Over the past several years, Dr. Young led the agency's national planning for education and outreach for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse.

Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov